CHAPTER I. 



THE ORDER RAXUNCULACEX : ILLUSTRATED BY THE RANUNCULUS, 

 THE BUTTERCUP OR CROWFOOT, THE PEONY, THE ANEMONE, 

 THE HEPATICA, THE CLEMATIS, THE CHRISTMAS ROSE, THE 

 WINTER ACONITE, MONKSHOOD, THE LARKSPUR, AND THE 

 COLUMBINE. 



Such of my readers who may have formed their 

 first ideas of the natural system from some order, 

 the flowers of which bear a strong resemblance 

 to each other, will be surprised at reading 

 the names of the heterogeneous assemblage of 

 plants at the head of this chapter ; for surely 

 no flowers can bear less resemblance to each 

 other than the buttercup and the peony do to 

 the columbine and the larkspur. There are, 

 however, striking points of resemblance which 

 link these flowers together ; the principal of 

 which are the number and disposition of the 

 ovaries, or carpels as they are called in this case, 

 which, though they grow close together, and 

 sometimes even adhere to each other, are yet 

 perfectly distinct ; in the number and position 

 of the stamens, which grow out of the receptacle 

 from beneath the carpels ; and in the leaves and 



